Process for mounting tissue sections with an U.V. light curable mounting medium

Abstract

Apparatus and method for permanently and protectively mounting "wet" thin sections of biological specimens on microscope slides, wherein each specimen is initially bathed in a low-volatile solvent containing a low concentration of first polymerizable material. Such solvent is allowed to evaporate, whereby the liquid polymerizable material permeates and protects the specimen. Following solvent evaporation, a second polymerizable material is layered over the specimen. Preferably, the first and second polymerizable materials comprise a mixture of low-volatility, low-viscosity, liquid acrylic reactomers and a U.V. light-sensitive catalyst system. A conventional cover slip or other planar transparent member can be positioned over the polymerizable materials, and the same are polymerized by exposure to U.V. radiation. The first and second now-polymerized materials encapsulate the specimen on the microscope slide, become integral and completely hardened and are fully devoid of any solvent. The microscope slide is immediately available for examination.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of mounting a stained thin section of a biological specimen, comprising the steps of: providing a thin layer of polymerizable material of low volatility over the surface of a solvent-wet specimen supported on a transparent substrate, so as to permeate said specimen, substantially totally evaporating the solvent in said specimen, covering said specimen subsequent to the evaporation of said solvent with a planar member which is oxygen-impermeable, and polymerizing said thin layer of material by exposure to U.V. radiation, said thin layer of material preventing damage to said specimen resulting from drying thereof prior to covering with said planar member, said thin layer of material further being transparent when polymerized. 
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1, wherein said material exhibits when polymerized a refractive index which approaches that of said specimen. 
     
     
       3. A method of mounting a stained thin section of biological specimen, comprising the steps of: bathing a biological specimen, previously wet with a first volatile solvent and positioned on one surface of a transparent substrate, with a second volatile solvent containing a low concentration of a first polmerizable material of low volatility to permeate said specimen, substantially totally evaporating any of said first and second solvents, providing a thin layer of a second polymerizable material over said specimen and said first material and subsequent to the substantially total evaporation of said first and second solvents, covering said specimen and said layer of second material with a planar member which is oxygen-impermeable, said first material preventing damage to said specimen resulting from drying thereof prior to covering with said planar member, and polymerizing said first and second materials by exposure to U.V. radiation, said first and second materials further being transparent when polymerized. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 3, comprising the further step of polymerizing said first and second materials concurrently. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 3, wherein at least said second material includes a U.V. -light sensitive catalyst system, and comprising the further step of exposing at least said second material to U.V. radiation to effect polymerization thereof. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 3, comprising the further step of expressing excess of said first and second materials from between said planar member and said substrate. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 3, comprising the further step of polymerizing only portions of said first and second materials located between said substrate and said planar member. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 3, comprising the further step of washing said substrate to remove unpolymerized first and second materials from the surface thereof. 
     
     
       9. A method of claim 3, comprising the further step of removing said planar member subsequent to the polymerization of said first and second materials. 
     
     
       10. A method of claim 3, wherein said first and second materials each exhibits, when polymerized, a refractive index which approaches that of said specimen. 
     
     
       11. A method as in claim 10, wherein said first and second materials exhibit a same refractive index after polymerization.